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Kurt Angle and Mahabali SheraMahabali Shera is on his way in becoming the most popular professional wrestler from India.After the success story of The Great Khali in WWE, the nation got another hero when Shera was signed up by TNA. Although comparing TNA and WWE wouldnt be a right move, it would be safe to say that Shera has a solid reputation in the wrestling business as of now.He might end up in the payroll of WWE at some point of time but before we get to all that, there are certain things that most people dont know about Mahabali Shera. With TNA all set to visit India for its TV tapings, it would be the best time to dig out those unknown facts. So read on and find out.
#6 Honorable Mention: He appeared in CID
Mahabali Shera packed a punch in the long running Television series CID last year and he apparently enjoyed his time on the sets as well.
#5 Getting ranked in the PWI List
Mahabali Shera found himself ranked in the PWI Top 500 Wrestlers list on two occasions.
The best ranking for the Indian came back in 2012 when he was ranked 138. The rank might not sound good but considering that he outranked names like Jushin Thunder Liger, Bray Wyatt, KENTA, Drew McIntyre and Chavo Guerrero, it is a big achievement to say the least.
Shera was ranked once again in 2015 but this time his rank dropped down to 179. Getting into the list is itself a big deal as a superstar will be compared with every other superstar around the world. Hopefully next year, Shera can shoot into the top 100.
#4 His childhood and idol
Professional wrestling was not the first love of Shera. As a youngster, he was more inclined towards Kabaddi and used to play the game in his locality.
His parents backed him as well, but Shera slowly drifted into wrestling. He realized that wrestling was the only way in which he could make his country proud. It soon turned into his dream and he went on to achieve it as well.
The man he drew inspiration from was none other than Dara Singh. For those who don’t know who Dara Singh is, he was a decorated name in the Indian wrestling circuit and is also a Wrestling Observer News Hall of Fame member.
#3 Ring Ka King World Heavyweight Champion
The first big break for Shera came through Ring Ka King. Ring Ka King was wrestling promotion in India backed by TNA and it ran from 2011 to 2012.
The promotion boasted TNA superstars like Jeff Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt, Jeremy Borash, Magnus, Scott Steiner and many others. It started out with a tournament to crown the Ring Ka King World heavyweight Champion and Shera was one of the contestants.
He managed to reach the semi-finals of the tournament by beating Nicholas Dinsmore but was defeated by Scott Steiner later. Shera, however, got his hands on the championship just months later when he defeated Magnus in a title match. It was his first major championship in the wrestling business and it looks set to be first of many.
#2 His real name
Wrestlers usually have a handful of names and Mahabali Shera is no different. He was born on October 17, 1990, and was named Amanpreet Singh.
When he entered the wrestling business, he took up the name Mahabali Shera and was stuck with it for quite some time. He then changed his name to Mahabali Veera which was pretty similar to his previous name.
He was supposed to have his big break in TNA as Mahabali Shera back in September 2014, but it got delayed for some reason. He returned to the company in 2015 as Khoya and joined James Storm’s revolution. The heel stable made good use of him and it acted as a platform for Shera to launch his career.
#1 He was scouted by Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle is one of the most respected names in the wrestling business.
The way in which he transitioned from an Olympic Gold medalist to a pro wrestling legend is second to none and Angle was the one who scouted Mahabali Shera. Angle apparently had high praise for the Indian and was instrumental in Shera getting a contract in TNA. Angle also helped Shera train at times.
“I really admire Kurt Angle, especially his wrestling career. Apart from my luck, I believe it’s my focus and dedication which attracted him and made him select me for TNA,” Shera said about Kurt Angle in an exclusive Interview he had with Sportskeeda.
You can find all the details about TNA’s visit to India by clicking on this link.
